Generally, in a slot machine using a rotational reel display unit, a liquid crystal display is used to induce interest in a game and display more colorful images. Typically, the liquid crystal display is disposed on a front side of the game machine, and an opening is formed on a light guide plate constituting a backlight unit of the liquid crystal display. Further, the opening is provided at the rear thereof with a rotational reel on which a reel band having symbol marks is mounted. With this configuration, a rear rotational reel display unit is viewed through the opening of the light guide plate and a game-related image is display through the liquid crystal display at the front side of the game machine, thereby inducing interest in the game.
However, in such a game machine, light is not emitted through the opening of the light guide plate, causing disconnection of an image displayed on the liquid crystal display. For example, when a game-related image is displayed through the liquid crystal display at the front side of the game machine, with the rear rotational reel display unit stopped, it is difficult to display the image since a backlight unit is not present in a region through which the rotational reel display unit is viewed. As a result, the game machine provides only a very restrictive and disconnected screen image in displaying game results and guide messages through the front liquid crystal display.
Moreover, although the rotational reel display unit at the rear side of the game machine is illuminated by a separate lighting lamp, the rotational reel display unit is always exposed through the opening of the light guide plate even in the case in which the lighting lamp is turned off. This configuration provides a coarse appearance to the display apparatus while a game is not played.